and so i've done a spot more reading. some of it proper, to be sure, whereas some of it has been on that ereader thing, look you see. fear not, clarification shall be forthcoming on that.
my usual thing would be to give you a picture of the covers, a brief overview of them in a spoiler free way and then go into slightly greater detail. there is no good reason for me not to pursue this approach here, so that is what i, or if you like we, shall now do, then.
in starting where i did with the above, Snap by Belinda Bauer is a highly engaging read as you go along, but ultimately feels less than satisfactory when completed. The Reckoning by John Grisham is, improbably, the third novel off of him what i have read this year, with 66% of the reading being on the ereader. whereas it is much better than the last one, The Rooster Bar, note that it is a (reasonably good) departure from his usual legal thrillers.
right, or indeed righty-ho, for all else below one of them *** POTENTIAL SPOILER WARNING *** this is well and truly in place, or all your own. whilst i will do my best not to give too much away, chances are some information beyond the back of the book cover may be mentioned. do read on with caution, then, but for those eager to depart now, i would have no quarrel suggesting either as a good read.
provenance of my copy? i am almost certain it was off of Tesco, with their "revised" book of the week deal. which meant it cost me either £3 or £3.50. it is entirely possible that i paid their maxed out £4 or £4.50 price, though, so keen was i.
the plot? a pregnant young(ish) mother is taking her children somewhere when the car breaks down. she instructs the children to wait in the car as she goes to summon help. but, she never returns, and we are not immediately aware of where she has gone or got too........
let me leave that at the premise, then. kind of. what follows is how the family left behind copes, what happens to them, and of course piecing together (and revealing the truth) of what actually happened. to this end, it is as mentioned a thoroughly enjoyable read, with many of the twists and turns screaming out "please adapt me, BBC or ITV, it would be compelling viewing".
as was the case with Blacklands, what lies at the heart of Snap is not so much the mystery of the plot but the emotional engagement with how children deal, cope or manage the unspeakable horrors us adults are supposed to shelter and protect them from. it just all didn't feel quite so affecting this time around, however. perhaps that's because "a couple" of the children are not so well developed, maybe it's because there is not quite the real sense of longing just to be held and loved as was present in the previous one.
it feels like i have really rather short changed you somewhat, even though this blog is free (not even adverts on it, please not), with the brief notes above. but, as at heart i would say yes, this is a good read, i truly am reluctant to say too much more.
provenance of my copy? internet, alas. to qualify or justify this, i have been spending a fair bit of time on the road, on my travels, and in hotels. when i can avoid it i never take an actual book with me, for fear of losing or misplacing it. yes, an ereader would be somewhat more expensive to replace, but still. one simply does not make an emotional bond or connection with an ereader.
anyway, plot? a decorated and celebrated war (second world war) veteran walks into a church and shoots a minister. he speaks no words of his crime, and simply goes to jail, and then trial, to face the consequences. his family, one of a dislocated and disjointed nature, are as mystified by it all as everyone else......
should you be a fan of Grisham's writing and story telling style then you will most decidedly "enjoy" this, despite the fact that it mostly strays away from overtly legal matters. there are lawyers and there is a court case, to be sure, but it is all just as straightforward as the above outline. what you mostly get is the societal side of the story, perhaps not too different from elements of the superb Ford County Stories collection, and a dominating chunk of the book is given over to the horrors American servicemen faced in Japan, when their own government effectively abandoned them to it.
it is very rare for me to read an Author's Note in a book. should the message that is wished to be shared not be clear in the book itself, well then the book has failed. in this instance, however, i was intrigued as to what prompted Grisham to shed light on an aspect of history that's been kept in the dark. alas, no mention of that, just a look back at what inspired the "main" story. maybe he just took it as a given that illustrating how the American government has always been willing to turn its back on its own people, to leave them at the mercy of the world, would speak for itself.
to say i "enjoyed" the novel feels horribly wrong, for it is tortuous, disturbing and unsettling to read of the barbaric ways the Japanese treated American prisoners of war. but, in truth, this was a mighty fine novel. also, a relief. after the breezy, whimsical ways of Camino Island and the poor Rooster Bar, i had feared we were in for another lean spell of dull Grisham novels. well back on form here, then.
no, indeed, neither of these novels are contenders for my much coveted, celebrated "book of the year" selection. it should be said, though, that i have no regrets about reading them. should chance permit, and you have an interest, and my views are worth much of anything, then yes, indeed, either or both are recommended reads.
well, that's that. as ever, hopefully this has been of some use or interest to someone out there somewhere!
be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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